Tuesday, January 12 2010

Written by Sue McMurray

MCCALL, Idaho – Broken bones, blood loss or bee stings – any of these things could happen during a wilderness excursion. To teach outdoor enthusiasts how to prepare for the unexpected, the University of Idaho McCall Outdoor Science School will host a Wilderness First Responder course, part of the National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Medicine Institute, March 12-21.

The intensive 80-hour curriculum is nationally recognized and is supported by WMI's Medical Advisory Panel. Tuition for the course is $620; the room and board option is an additional $265.

Wilderness responder training is essential for anyone who spends significant time in remote places or who has a professional career in the outdoors. This fast-paced, engaging 10-day course trains people to make difficult medical decisions.

This course is a combination of classroom time and hands-on scenarios, with at least one full-scale nighttime mock rescue. Topics include long-term patient care, wound management, straightening angulated fractures, reducing dislocations, litter packaging and administering medications. The instructors are educators who have practiced both wilderness and urban medicine.

About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation classification for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 130 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.

About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.